Meeting of Hungarian and New-Zealand Soldiers

The Hungarian patrol had to travel a distance of 100 kilometres on rocky roads, which put both the men and the technical equipment to a hard test. A platoon of the Afghan National Army (ANA) participated again in the patrol mission. The last 20 kilometres of the route were unfamiliar for the contingent, as the service members of the HUN PRT-11 have never been to this area as yet. The troops of the two nations have met not just on the border of the Afghan provinces, but also on the boundary of the areas of responsibility (AORs) of the two ISAF Regional Commands.

In the meeting the Hungarian and the New-Zealand soldiers shared with each other the lessons learned during their patrol activities, the latest information related to the security situation of the districts, and the current problems of the Afghan governmental organs. They also touched upon a joint task, in the interest of enhancing the presence of the ISAF-forces and for their more efficient operation. Both PRT contingents agreed that this occasion of establishing contacts is regarded only as the first step in the history of the co-operation between the two organisations.

In the meantime the New-Zealand scouts noticed the movement of a 20-30-strong group of insurgents along the return route of the Hungarian troops. No incidents occurred; presumably the strong Hungarian–Afghan column deterred the rebels from launching an attack.